


The True Nature of Ironwood

by orphan_account



Category: RWBY
Genre: M/M, Meta, Predictions, The Transformative Power of Love, Volume 7 Episode 2 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-27 06:34:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21387697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: I thought I'd post this here since I like AO3's formatting, and not everybody is on tumblr these days.A write-up about the knight in shining armour symbolism of Ironwood and character misdirection typical of RWBY.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/James Ironwood
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	The True Nature of Ironwood

* * *

This is just a brief write-up of my opinion on Ironwood’s alignment. He seems to come across alternately as a big bad guy who’s betrayed Oz and is bugging Qrow, or a headstrong man who won’t listen to anybody else.

I hold that the former is untrue, and the latter is going to change through the theme of this volume (trust in love). The running theme of Ironwood’s portrayal is ultimately good intentions, with misunderstandings: which is very romcom if you ask me.

I would like to discuss the visual symbolism applied to Ironwood since Volume 3: that of a knight in shining armour.

Shrouded in smoke, an unseen saviour to Cardinal:

  


he emerges:

  


The symbolism is really obvious put into perspective of his actions in trying to do the right thing: in the flesh (his true physical self) he is literally a knight in shining armour. From the ground up. Even if it's unseen or distorted by his uniform, his nature is still true.

The scene that characterises him in his entirety, I think, is where he believes Qrow is going to strike him. It’s been commented on before, but the meaning is actually emphasised when read in conjunction.

  


He’s only waiting to defend.

It’s only a misunderstanding. Qrow was going to _protect _him. On first watching, I thought it was an awkward framing: could Qrow not just tell him there was a Grimm coming? Or shout before he moved?

But the point is character building. Qrow’s intention is to protect. Ironqrow’s intention is to defend. Even if misunderstood (and Qrow so often is too), they have good intentions nevertheless.

A continual thread through Ironwood’s actions is, “It’s not what it looks like!” It appears to be one of those RWBY conventions I so love: it is not what it appears like! In this instance, sometimes a good man is just trying to be a good man.

Further, there is a constrast to Lionheart: expecting him to finally be what team RNJR had been waiting for, spilling their guts, and the reveal being he was a traitor.

It’s been completely subverted with Ironwood. Expecting him to be a traitor, keeping the truth, and the reveal being... he wasn’t.

Knights are not always morally just. They intend to be just, and follow a code (particularly in symbolism and literature), but they don’t always succeed. I don’t think good intentions make all of Ironwood’s acts justified, but his problem is he’s working with a limited data set he can’t share. Sure, there are problems, but _Salem_? In the hierarchy of justice Ironwood, knightly and virtuous, is most concerned with a pressing evil. It’s probably why he’s sure they’ll all be able to band together.

Because that fits exactly into his worldview.

I mentioned the theme of the volume and a potential change he could go through. Ironwood has been morally shaken by the fall of Beacon. but he has tried to push through with his virtues.

I genuinely believe he’s glad to see Qrow, because, as a peer, he is able to read the full context of Ironwood’s actions. To a degree, this is true of the students as well, as it’s been repeatedly demonstrated that Ironwood cares deeply about all the students he’s encountered (and protected, see the first example!). I believe [LacePendragon](https://www.tumblr.com/edit/lacependragon.tumblr.com) pointed it out: gentle with Yang after her loss but firm; “No one will fault you for leaving,” per Volume 3 Fall of Beacon; looking after Weiss at the charity ball; so on.

With the truth of Salem’s nature revealed to the team, their approach to conflict has shifted. They know she can’t be defeated, but Ironwood is working with different information, and he’s doing exactly what he knows: stick to his knightly virtues, even disgraced.

There has been a reshuffling in the hierarchy with the students, Salem, Ozpin/Ozma disappearing; this change is going to transfer through to Ironwood.

Because he’s literally cut off his country from the rest of the world, and himself.

Per the theme song, that’s usually a good metric of the direction, and all the story setups (particularly Yang and Blake, who at the end of the previous volume showed the power of equal, redemptive, transformative love), the direction of Volume 7 is strengthening the ties together and trusting in love.

Qrow and crew literally crashland in Mantle to see Ironwood. For Ironwood to be able to open up to people, they have to literally break through his defenses with a stolen ship. Which they’ve successfully done. With the themes of love, and trusting in love, in intuition, in one’s gut: Ironwood has been metaphorically opened up.

I predict he’s going to stop being bone-headed about his plan once the team realise they can trust him, whilst he’s trying to demonstrate that. Trusting (and accepting) in love (in all forms) is the only way to defeat the threat of Salem (note the wording).

Ironwood’s knightly symbolism is going to endure, particularly after opening house and home to the team, and accepting Qrow (literally) into his arms. Honour, duty--- yes--- but knights are often, almost always, bound to love and devotion, and do whatever they can to keep it, save it, and nurture it. Hence such representation:

  


Qrow metaphorically crashlanded in Ironwood’s love life, and it’s going to be the tie that binds.

Ironwood’s knightly character simply demands that.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Might well get jossed but here it is.


End file.
